Monthly Archives: September 2016

Updated: September 29th 2016

Week 3 Results

1.Papson – 10-6

2.English– 9-7

3.Wendell – 8-8

Overall Standings

1.Papson – 35-13

2.English– 28-20

3.Wendell – 26-22

Well, I will just have to admit it right here and now…Matthew Papson does know a thing or two about the game of football. He wins what proved to be a tough Week 3 to win three straight weeks and extends his lead to 35-15 overall. I am 9 games back…perhaps insurmountable. The most obvious blunder was Kyle and I picking against Bill Belichick at home…just not a smart thing to do as the Texans found out in a bruising shut out. On to Week 4 we go…below are our picks for the week. Everyone enjoy the games this week!

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Updated: September 29th 2016

There are a number of interesting storylines heading into week 4 of the NFL season. Injuries and under-performing / over-performing players always make for an interesting and unpredictable start to the season. Let us take a look at a few of the more interesting stories below.

Surprising Team

The Philadelphia Eagles made a bunch of high profile moves in the offseason including salary dumps of Demarco Murray and Byron Maxwell to move up in the draft, trading up for the number two pick to land quarterback Carson Wentz, and signing then trading quarterback Sam Bradford to Minnesota. The moves seem to have worked so far. The Eagles took care of a rebuilding Cleveland in week 1 and a Chicago team decimated by injuries in week 2 then shockingly destroyed an undefeated Pittsburg team that has Super Bowl aspirations this year.

Wentz has lived up to his draft status so far, playing like a seasoned pro in his first three games leading the Eagles to a 3-0 mark. The defense improved greatly, particularly against the pass, where the Eagles have placed consistent pressure on opposing offenses resulting in ten sacks on the young season. This team contains the ingredients to challenge for the NFC East with a strong defense and solid offensive playmakers if Wentz can continue his stellar mistake-free play.

Disappointing Team

Hopes were high for the Jacksonville Jaguars coming into the season with many predicting contention for the AFC South crown. Jacksonville spent heavily in the free agent market to reinforce holes on defense and the running game after Blake Bortles showed improvement in his second year. Dreams of contention have turned into nightmares as this team seems closer to challenging Cleveland for the worst record in the league with a 0-3 start to the season.

So what has gone wrong? The offensive line play has been nothing short of a disaster. The run blocking is close to non-existent contributing to the Jaguars miniscule 2.8 yards per carry. The pass blocking leaks like a sieve which has resulted in nine sacks already. Blake Bortles also appears to have regressed this season. He is wildly inaccurate and does not look comfortable in the pocket or with his decisions. There is plenty of time to improve in a weak AFC South division and the defense has improved enough to keep the Jaguars in ball games but the offensive line has to get better if Jacksonville is going to compete this season.

Rushing Volume Trumps Efficiency in Fantasy Football

Not a single running back in the top-9 of rushing attempts averages more than 4 yards per carry through three weeks. Do not let that fact worry you. Defenses adjust to run heavy schemes by increasing defenders near the line of scrimmage which tends to decrease overall running efficiency. This decrease in efficiency is more than made up for by the increased workload. The average top-12 back in attempts amassed 60 carries for 232 yards (only 3.9 yards per attempt) with 2.5 touchdowns. The next twelve rushers average a robust 4.6 yards per carry but average only 184 yards and 1.2 touchdowns.

We have seen resurgence in volume-heavy running backs so far in 2016. Six backs averaged over 20 attempts per game so far and fourteen have gone for 15 or more. Enjoy the consistent production you receive from the workhorses at the running back position.

Early Rookie Impact

Rookies, outside of Amari Cooper and Todd Gurley, provided little impact in the fantasy world last season. The 2016 class has the chance to make a far greater difference this season. Quarterback Carson Wentz looks tremendous so far in Philadelphia. Wide receivers Corey Coleman, Sterling Shepard, Will Fuller, Michael Thomas, and Tyler Boyd all earned significant roles early this year. Running back Ezekiel Elliott leads a rush heavy offense in Dallas while Jordan Howard has the chance to take over in Chicago after starter Jeremy Langford was injured. Even tight ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry have received major playing time at a position notorious for slow development.

Many in the scouting community derided the 2016 skill position group in terms of talent relative to other rookie classes. The sheer volume of rookies receiving major playing time and others waiting for their chance means this group could make far more of an impact than most people anticipated heading into the season.

Garbage Time Fantasy Hero

We typically think of passers and receivers as the beneficiaries of garbage time stats with teams continually throwing the ball in a race against the clock to come back from an insurmountable lead. Week 3’s award, however, goes to San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde who put up one of the most deceiving stat lines with 21 carries and 103 yards for 4.9 yards per attempt while also adding in two touchdowns. The game told a completely different story. Hyde accumulated 69 yards and both of his touchdowns on the final two drives for San Francisco with the game far out of reach after Seattle built a commanding 37-3 lead. The stout Seattle run defense held Hyde to just 3 yards per attempt on 12 carries for 36 yards prior to the last two San Francisco drives.

Bio: Bernard Faller has degrees in engineering and economics. He currently lives in Las Vegas and enjoys athletics, poker, and fantasy football in his free time. Send your questions and comments (both good and bad) on Twitter @BernardFaller1.

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Updated: September 29th 2016

There are a number of interesting storylines heading into week 4 of the NFL season. Injuries and under-performing / over-performing players always make for an interesting and unpredictable start to the season. Let us take a look at a few of the more interesting stories below.

Surprising Team

The Philadelphia Eagles made a bunch of high profile moves in the offseason including salary dumps of Demarco Murray and Byron Maxwell to move up in the draft, trading up for the number two pick to land quarterback Carson Wentz, and signing then trading quarterback Sam Bradford to Minnesota. The moves seem to have worked so far. The Eagles took care of a rebuilding Cleveland in week 1 and a Chicago team decimated by injuries in week 2 then shockingly destroyed an undefeated Pittsburg team that has Super Bowl aspirations this year.

Wentz has lived up to his draft status so far, playing like a seasoned pro in his first three games leading the Eagles to a 3-0 mark. The defense improved greatly, particularly against the pass, where the Eagles have placed consistent pressure on opposing offenses resulting in ten sacks on the young season. This team contains the ingredients to challenge for the NFC East with a strong defense and solid offensive playmakers if Wentz can continue his stellar mistake-free play.

Disappointing Team

Hopes were high for the Jacksonville Jaguars coming into the season with many predicting contention for the AFC South crown. Jacksonville spent heavily in the free agent market to reinforce holes on defense and the running game after Blake Bortles showed improvement in his second year. Dreams of contention have turned into nightmares as this team seems closer to challenging Cleveland for the worst record in the league with a 0-3 start to the season.

So what has gone wrong? The offensive line play has been nothing short of a disaster. The run blocking is close to non-existent contributing to the Jaguars miniscule 2.8 yards per carry. The pass blocking leaks like a sieve which has resulted in nine sacks already. Blake Bortles also appears to have regressed this season. He is wildly inaccurate and does not look comfortable in the pocket or with his decisions. There is plenty of time to improve in a weak AFC South division and the defense has improved enough to keep the Jaguars in ball games but the offensive line has to get better if Jacksonville is going to compete this season.

Rushing Volume Trumps Efficiency in Fantasy Football

Not a single running back in the top-9 of rushing attempts averages more than 4 yards per carry through three weeks. Do not let that fact worry you. Defenses adjust to run heavy schemes by increasing defenders near the line of scrimmage which tends to decrease overall running efficiency. This decrease in efficiency is more than made up for by the increased workload. The average top-12 back in attempts amassed 60 carries for 232 yards (only 3.9 yards per attempt) with 2.5 touchdowns. The next twelve rushers average a robust 4.6 yards per carry but average only 184 yards and 1.2 touchdowns.

We have seen resurgence in volume-heavy running backs so far in 2016. Six backs averaged over 20 attempts per game so far and fourteen have gone for 15 or more. Enjoy the consistent production you receive from the workhorses at the running back position.

Early Rookie Impact

Rookies, outside of Amari Cooper and Todd Gurley, provided little impact in the fantasy world last season. The 2016 class has the chance to make a far greater difference this season. Quarterback Carson Wentz looks tremendous so far in Philadelphia. Wide receivers Corey Coleman, Sterling Shepard, Will Fuller, Michael Thomas, and Tyler Boyd all earned significant roles early this year. Running back Ezekiel Elliott leads a rush heavy offense in Dallas while Jordan Howard has the chance to take over in Chicago after starter Jeremy Langford was injured. Even tight ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry have received major playing time at a position notorious for slow development.

Many in the scouting community derided the 2016 skill position group in terms of talent relative to other rookie classes. The sheer volume of rookies receiving major playing time and others waiting for their chance means this group could make far more of an impact than most people anticipated heading into the season.

Garbage Time Fantasy Hero

We typically think of passers and receivers as the beneficiaries of garbage time stats with teams continually throwing the ball in a race against the clock to come back from an insurmountable lead. Week 3’s award, however, goes to San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde who put up one of the most deceiving stat lines with 21 carries and 103 yards for 4.9 yards per attempt while also adding in two touchdowns. The game told a completely different story. Hyde accumulated 69 yards and both of his touchdowns on the final two drives for San Francisco with the game far out of reach after Seattle built a commanding 37-3 lead. The stout Seattle run defense held Hyde to just 3 yards per attempt on 12 carries for 36 yards prior to the last two San Francisco drives.

Bio: Bernard Faller has degrees in engineering and economics. He currently lives in Las Vegas and enjoys athletics, poker, and fantasy football in his free time. Send your questions and comments (both good and bad) on Twitter @BernardFaller1.

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Updated: September 28th 2016

Week 4 of the NFL season is upon us and what better way to complement yearly leagues than by playing daily leagues as well? Assuming your opponent’s team is stacked and you’re fighting a losing battle, DFS is a way to still monetize your football knowledge on a lost week in yearly leagues. However, there is a bit of a strategy difference due to the weekly salary cap. In this article, fantasy expert Ricky Sanders will walk you through the thought process of putting together the best possible FantasyDraft DFS lineup for the upcoming week:

Cam Newton, Panthers, $14,600 – Did you see what Drew Brees just did the Falcons defense in a dome? Or what the Raiders did in Week 2? Or what Jameis Winston did to them in Week 1? This Falcons defense is simply toast and now they’ll be facing fantasy football’s top quarterback (QB) in Week 4. Not only should Cam Newton be able to contribute through the air but he has rushed for at least 37 yards in each game so far and scored a rushing TD in two separate games. In other words, he is a dual threat against a defense allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing QBs. For what it’s worth, Newton only averaged around 18 fantasy points in two meetings last year but the Falcons defense appears to have regressed in a big way. Sure other players at the position are viable but you are passing on the safest possible floor of the week by not rostering Newton in a dome against a subpar opponent.

Le’Veon Bell, Steelers, $14,100 – If there were any concerns about Le’Veon Bell’s usage in his first game back, Coach Mike Tomlin eased them by stating he expects to use Bell “a lot” against the Chiefs. The days of DeAngelo Williams dominating the touches are now over with the return of Bell who is likely to step into a similar role…and Williams rated as RB2 in all of fantasy in that role through three games. Bell is even a better receiver than Williams so the sky is the limit. So far, only 10 teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing backs and only five teams have allowed more rushing yards. When a team is heavily favored, the strongest correlation in terms of fantasy points is to the running back (RB) position. Basically, RBs are the most likely to benefit when a team is heavily favored and the Steelers opened as 6.0 point favorites at home. In 2015, Bell failed to catch four passes in two games; one against the Cardinals and one was a game he left due to injury. Assuming he makes it through this entire contest, he possesses both a reliable floor due to his involvement in the passing game and an incredibly high ceiling.

Melvin Gordon, Chargers, $12,000 – On Monday Night Football, the combination of Falcons backs gashed the Saints for 194 yards rushing on just 26 carries (7.46 yards per carry (YPC)) and four total TDs. This was not exactly a new development against the Saints defense as they allowed a league worst 4.9 YPC in 2015. After this pathetic performance, the Saints predictably have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing backs and Melvin Gordon is amidst an impressive stretch to begin the year. Following a rookie season in which he did not score once, Gordon has now scored four TDs in just three games, is playing over 50 snaps a game and is even part of the passing game. Here are his fantasy point outputs to begin the year: 17.70, 24.00 and 17.80 respectively. Hell, only DeMarco Murray, Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson, Matt Forte, Tevin Coleman and LeSean McCoy have scored more fantasy points on FantasyDraft to this point…and now he draws the absolute best matchup at the position. One could make the case he deserves a similar price point to Bell in this situation, but he’s priced at a significant discount from that level, so start him with confidence.

Carlos Hyde, 49ers, $8,400 – Another player with a bargain price tag that simply cannot be overlooked is Carlos Hyde. Like Gordon, Hyde is the bell cow for his respective team as he has now touched the ball at least 17 times in each of his first three games. Maybe the most surprising aspect to his start is the fact he has been targeted seven times in three games and converted on six of them. In 2015, Hyde only posted a catch rate of 73-percent so the uptick in efficiency has been a nice surprise. Impressively, Hyde was able to stay involved in a game last week in which the team trailed 24-3 at halftime. Looking ahead to Week 4, the 49ers are only listed as 2.5 point home underdogs to the Cowboys, meaning the game script is going to be friendlier. When a team is in the game, it’s likelier they will continue to pound the ball on the ground as opposed to when they are behind. For all those reasons combined with a sub-$8,500 price tag, the cost simply does not match the production. Any time a workhorse is listed at a sub-$9,000 price, they are very difficult to pass on because that sort of value does not come along every week.

Terrelle Pryor Sr., Browns, $8,400 – The value argument for Hyde is a perfect transition into literally the best value of the week: Terrelle Pryor Sr. Last week, the guy played a whopping 82 snaps which included 14 at QB, one at half back, four at slot receiver and the rest as an outside receiver. When all said and done, Pryor completed 3-5 passes for 35 yards, rushed for 21 yards on four carries and caught 8-14 targets for 144 yards! Basically, Pryor was the combination of a low-end QB2 mixed with a WR1. We love RBs like Le’Veon Bell because he combines the skills of a WR2 with a RB1. Pryor is the same general idea except two different positions and his price tag is quite literally almost half of Bell’s. There is no doubting Pryor is the absolute focus of the Browns offense on a weekly basis and the team will only succeed as much as he does. With creative play-caller Hue Jackson designing the offense, Pryor should continue to succeed. There’s a chance Pryor approaches 80-percent ownership in cash games this weekend so you would be foolish not to use him.

Greg Olsen, Panthers, $11,300 – If Drew Brees’ monster performance against the Falcons last week was indicative of things to come for Newton then Coby Fleener’s dominance is quite the omen for Greg Olsen as well. As a whole, Fleener played a very average game where he struggled with drops yet again and still managed to eclipse 100 yards with a TD. Beyond the drops, he failed to adjust to some balls in the air and showed the same inadequacies that led to stinkers in the first two weeks of the season. One guy who hasn’t been struggling is Olsen who has easily scored the most fantasy points at the tight end (TE) position to this point. He’s been so dominant that he’s averaging nearly 3.5 more fantasy points per game than the next highest scorer at the position (Travis Kelce) and he’s only priced as TE3. In a matchup against a defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points and four TDs to TEs in just three games, expect more of the same fantasy goodness that Olsen has been providing fantasy owners with every week this season.

Ricky Sanders is a fantasy sports expert with over 15 years of playing experience. After starting several freelance fantasy sports blogs, Ricky moved up in the fantasy industry when he joined Going9 Baseball. He wrote fantasy baseball content and had a weekly radio spot on the site’s SiriusXM Satellite Radio show. Shortly thereafter, in early 2013, Ricky joined RotoExperts as a three-sport fantasy contributor, eventually becoming one of the site’s lead basketball writers. While writing for RotoExperts, Ricky was introduced to daily fantasy sports and immediately fell in love. With help from some of his mentors, some of the best DFS players in the world, he honed his skills and became the daily fantasy expert he is today. When RotoExperts created a daily-focused website called DailyRoto.com, Ricky was brought on to FantasyDraft as one of the main contributors. He still makes frequent appearances on the RotoExperts SiriusXM Radio show and on the FNTSY Sports Television Network, talking daily fantasy sports. He also continues to write for a few DFS content sites: FanVice, RotoCurve and Daily Fantasy Cafe. Ricky is a proud and active member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Don’t hesitate to contact Ricky with questions on Twitter @RSandersDFS.

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Updated: September 22nd 2016

Week 2 Results

1.Papson – 11-5

2.English– 10-6

3.Wendell – 8-8

Overall Standings

1.Papson – 25-7

2.English– 19-13

3.Wendell – 18-14

Well, Papson extends his lead winning another week going 11-5. His Cleveland outright picked looked right on the money until McCown went down with an injury, but he more than made up for it picking the Cowboys, Chargers and Vikings all correctly. Defending and back-to-back champion Wendell is dead last a full 7 games behind the leader and is already feeling the pressure (good thing his fantasy teams are a combined 8-0 to start the season). Below are our picks for Week 3 of the season. Everyone enjoy the games this week!

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Updated: September 21st 2016

Week 3 of the NFL season is upon us and what better way to complement yearly leagues than by playing daily leagues as well? Assuming your opponent’s team is stacked and you’re fighting a losing battle, DFS is a way to still monetize your football knowledge on a lost week in yearly leagues. However, there is a bit of a strategy difference due to the weekly salary cap. In this article, fantasy expert Ricky Sanders will walk you through the thought process of putting together the best possible FantasyDraft DFS lineup for the upcoming week:

Drew Brees, Saints, $14,900 – As is the case in most weeks in the modern pass-happy NFL, the quarterback (QB) position is stacked this week but it’s difficult to overlook one of the game’s best in a fantastic spot. Through two games, only the Raiders and Lions have allowed more fantasy points to opposing QBs than the Falcons (Brees’ Week 3 opponent), and the Saints will square off against them at home. Why does the location matter? Last season, Brees threw for 2,853 yards and 23 touchdowns (TDs) at home compared to just 2,017 yards and nine TDs on the road. In two games against the Falcons last year, Brees averaged 317.5 yards and one TD and now his weaponry is even more loaded with Michael Thomas, Travaris Cadet and Coby Fleener in the picture. With other QBs (like Marcus Mariota) in favorable spots, none is more favorable than Brees at home with his team implied to score the most points of any team this week (28.3 points).

Melvin Gordon, Chargers, $10,900 – Spending up at both QB and wide receiver (WR) will require cheap running backs (RBs) in order to make it all work and one reasonably priced back stands out above the rest: Melvin Gordon. I worried about his prospects moving forward what appeared to be a lucky Week 1 because he only played 23 snaps to Danny Woodhead’s 50 despite the two TDs. In Week 2, Woodhead tore his ACL early in the game and Gordon then ended up playing 51 snaps, touching the ball a career-high 27 times and scored yet again. Gordon went from a back in the unfavorable end of a split to being catapulted into a workhorse role under the tutelage of a great offensive mind (Ken Whisenhunt). In fact, the last time Whisenhunt coordinated for the offense for the Chargers (2013), the team ranked sixth in attempts and 13th in yards. In other words, expect a heavy workload for Gordon moving forward, and this matchup couldn’t be much better. The Colts have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing backs so far this year as both the Cleveland duo of backs and C.J. Anderson have run wild on them. At just $10,900, Gordon is a true RB1 in this matchup, and you simply cannot pass on that sort of value.

Theo Riddick, Lions, $9,700 – Speaking of backs about see an increase in opportunity, Theo Riddick will now have to take on an expanded role with Ameer Abdullah set to meet with a football specialist on Tuesday. Abdullah left the stadium in a walking boot on Sunday so the odds of him playing on Sunday seem like they are slim-to-none. While Riddick will never project as an every down back, his workload will certainly increase as he and Abdullah actually possess a somewhat similar skill set. With Dwayne Washington mixing in on the early down work, the rest of the workload will be Riddick’s. In 2015, Riddick already finished as RB18 in FantasyDraft’s point-per-reception (PPR) scoring format due to catching a whopping 80 passes. If Riddick’s snap count were to rise, he could legitimately push Matt Forte’s reception record for a RB. Even in a tough matchup against the Packers in Week 3, the role combined with the price is too solid of a bargain to overlook.

Antonio Brown, Steelers, $18,000 – What more really is there to say about this guy? Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver (WR) in football by a wide margin and now will face a team that Alshon Jeffery tore up. Hell, the entire Bears offense was just to lob it up to Jeffery and he still hauled in 5-7 targets for 96 yards. Had Jay Cutler not suffered a thumb injury mid-game, he easily would have eclipsed 100 yards. Now the best in the business will face this very defense whose corners are mediocre at best and are going to have the virtually impossible task of shutting down Brown. Advantage: Brown. After a quiet Week 2, expect Brown to get back to his dominant ways and, as always, fading him is a dangerous proposition. The guy led the league in receptions (RECs) last year (tied with Julio Jones) and would have easily bested Jones had Roethlisberger not gotten hurt. The two of them are absolutely unstoppable together and Brown should be locked and loaded into cash games.

Allen Robinson, Jaguars, $14,100 – Did you draft Allen Robinson in yearly leagues? If so, you are probably frustrated to this point, but to be fair, he has been shadowed by two of the game’s top corners. In Week 3, Robinson and company will face a Ravens secondary that was just torched by Corey Coleman and is led by former first round pick Jimmy Smith who is still working through the kinks early in his career. Robinson, a polished receiver, should leave him in the dust. I expect Robinson’s target total to more closely resemble Week 1 (15) than Week 2 (five) so this game projects as the breakout game everyone has been waiting for. At nearly $4,000 cheaper than the elites, Robinson projects similarly so take the discount and run.

Delanie Walker, Titans, $9,300 – Delanie Walker was quiet in Week 1 but followed it up with a vintage 2015 Walker performance in Week 2 to the tune of six RECs, 83 yards and a TD (20.30 fantasy points). This week, the Titans and Walker will take on a Raiders defense that has allowed a whopping 808 passing yards through two games including 186 yards to opposing tight ends (TEs) (second most in NFL). Even with the emergence of Tajae Sharpe, Walker proved last week he is still a big part of this passing offense moving forward, and he did lead all TEs in both targets (130) and RECs (94) last season. While he probably will not quite reach those plateaus once again, he is still a rock solid TE1, and may not draw a better matchup all season. Beyond just the yardage, the Raiders have allowed the fourth most fantasy points to the position this season after allowing the third most in 2015. Going cheap at the position is certainly viable if spending up at other positions but I’m inclined to find the necessary salary to roster this monster against arguably the NFL’s worst defense.

Here are some of my favorite Fantasy Draft contests for this week:

Ricky Sanders is a fantasy sports expert with over 15 years of playing experience. After starting several freelance fantasy sports blogs, Ricky moved up in the fantasy industry when he joined Going9 Baseball. He wrote fantasy baseball content and had a weekly radio spot on the site’s SiriusXM Satellite Radio show. Shortly thereafter, in early 2013, Ricky joined RotoExperts as a three-sport fantasy contributor, eventually becoming one of the site’s lead basketball writers. While writing for RotoExperts, Ricky was introduced to daily fantasy sports and immediately fell in love. With help from some of his mentors, some of the best DFS players in the world, he honed his skills and became the daily fantasy expert he is today. When RotoExperts created a daily-focused website called DailyRoto.com, Ricky was brought on to FantasyDraft as one of the main contributors. He still makes frequent appearances on the RotoExperts SiriusXM Radio show and on the FNTSY Sports Television Network, talking daily fantasy sports. He also continues to write for a few DFS content sites: FanVice, RotoCurve and Daily Fantasy Cafe. Ricky is a proud and active member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Don’t hesitate to contact Ricky with questions on Twitter @RSandersDFS.